


Roman's Halloween Story

by Creativia



Series: Sanders Sides Holiday related Fics [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Banter, Deceit being extra, Fear, Halloween, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode: Putting Others First - Selfishness v. Selflessness Redux | Sanders Sides, Protective Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Suspense, may add additional tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:33:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27272731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creativia/pseuds/Creativia
Summary: Roman takes out his frustrations after PoF by writing a Halloween like story with them all in it. However, Roman is not aware of the power he holds in the mindscape and ends up bringing elements from the story to life before he can write a resolution.Tw: manipulation, will be marked with brackets though so can be skipped
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Series: Sanders Sides Holiday related Fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575295
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So in case you missed it, part of this fic was read live on a twitch stream tn. There should still be a vod of the stream in case you wanted to check it out.   
> https://www.twitch.tv/sydastry
> 
> May look over again and edit more.  
> Please let me know if there are any tags I need to add.  
> Let me know what you think

Roman was mumbling to himself, and trying to regulate his breathing, as he scribbled furiously onto his papyrus pad. He was writing with a quill (already inked, imagination magic) that had a floof that was rainbow colored. Yes, he figured there were not many birds with rainbow feathers, but he did not care. It was his imaginary pen. He could make it as extra and as gay as he pleased.

Roman was having trouble focusing on his story, as the inspiration behind writing it kept coming back to his mind to bother him. _Putting Others First_ kept playing through his head. He shook his head and tried to force himself into his imagination space he needed to write something good. He figured he would feel better afterwards, plus this way nobody would get mad at him for how he feels.

Story them knew about the dangers of the dark sides, but oh, he had to make it so much more exciting of course. After all, he was prince Roman. So, he made it more of an adventure, where he could be everyone’s valiant hero. The monsters were made to be more exciting.

He smiled slowly as he got more into it. Yes. Yes! This would be so much fun. This would be better for everyone. Who knows, maybe Thomas could use something from this for Halloween. Surely it was good enough if he did say so himself.

* * *

However, things were not how they seemed.

Three of the other sides were simply sitting in the living room area of the mind palace. Patton and Janus were sitting on the couch. Janus was flipping through a philosophy book, and Patton was looking at cute animal content on his phone. Virgil was sitting on the table behind them. He appeared to be scrolling through Tumblr on his phone but would occasionally look up as though to check that Janus was not doing anything tricky.

Suddenly Janus jolted and sat up straight as a wooden board as he stared forward. His book fell from his hands, but he did not seem to react to it. Patton gasped at the movement and looked over to Janus in concern. He set his phone down.

“Are you alright Janus?” Patton asked him.

Janus seemed to be struggling with something on his face.

“I’m- not…sure”

He stood up stiffly and walked forward so his back was to the other two.

Virgil hopped off the table and started to carefully walk over to Patton. His eyes narrowed at the snake side.

Patton stood up. “Janus?”

Janus did not say anything for a moment. On left side of his neck scales sprung about, one by one but like a ripple effect. He spread his fingers out from where his hands were at his sides. Sharp twisted claws poked out from his fingertips, breaking holes through his gloves.

Then, a very unsettling evil laugh came from him.

“Oh Patton…you should be more concerned about yourself.” His smooth dark voice said before Janus quickly turned around. Patton gasped.

Janus had more scales on the left side of his face than he had before, the other side of his face was deathly pale. The iris of his right eye looked red. Fangs poked out of his mouth. They curved sharp like snake incisors. Both of his eyes had a grayish glow to them, like a film or a fog. He was smiling at them wickedly.

Loud hissing came from all over the room. Yellow, green, brown, black, and red snakes slithered all along the floor. Almost covering it so you could not see the floor anymore.

Patton eeped. He tried to raise himself up as though he could avoid them that way. The snakes were not attacking him, but they were all around him. The snakes being all over the floor stopped Virgil from getting closer to Patton. A few of them sniped near Virgil though, who tried to bat them away. Virgil hissed and glared at the stupid stink noodles. He did not like snakes, for obvious reasons.

A long two headed cobra slithered over to Janus, twisting up the hooked staff that Janus suddenly had now, and went to the top, almost resembling Jaffar’s staff from Aladdin.

“Ohh, you almost make it too easy.” Janus said, petting the tops of the cobra with his finger while still looking at them.

“Poor Patton. Ssso trusting, ssso friendly. Ssssso eager to be nice to all.” Janus looked directly at Patton. Janus held his hand out palm up and lifted it up. Patton gasped as a dark purple cloudlike mist lifted him up into the air. He wiggled around but was unable to move his arms or legs.

“You make it almost too easy to- “He lunged forward and grabbed him,

“Sink my teeth into you” He said as he bared his fangs.

“NO!” Virgil jumped over the snakes and swung at Janus with a scythe that he suddenly had. Janus, having stopped just before Patton’s neck, looked at Virgil, and waved a hand, sending snakes flying at Virgil, pushing him back enough so the scythe was no longer in range.

Then, before he could do anything else, Janus sank his fangs into the side of Patton’s neck.

“NO!” Virgil screamed, fighting the snakes to try and quickly get back over there to no avail.

Patton let out a high pitched gasp of as he was bitten. He whimpered a bit. His head lolled slightly. Janus pulled his face away from Patton’s neck. Patton was pale now, and there was a gray glow around his eyes. Janus let him stay floating in that purple mist. Patton was not responding to anything around him.

Virgil growled. “YOU BASTARD!” He pushed through the snakes with greater force, breaking through easier. He had his scythe again and raised it to try attacking Janus again.

* * *

*

Roman was startled out of his imaginative reverie by a shout coming from the main area of the mind palace.

What could that be? He waved a hand to put his writing away for now and sunk out to quickly go check on that.

He popped in the living area to see the clash of two weapons

“Whoa! What on earth is going on here!?” He exclaimed

He immediately got out his sword and carefully made his way over to the commotion. So, Virgil appeared to be swinging a scythe, which Roman had not seen him with before, which was clashing with what seemed to be a hooked staff, like the one he had used to pull Thomas away in the video game scenario, except this one was metallic and covered in scales. He looked over and gasped when he saw the other.

Janus, (well, Deceit since Roman questioned if Janus was actually his name) looked exactly how Roman had described monster Deceit in the story that he is writing. But how was this possible? He had never done something like this before, let alone by accident.

Roman poised his sword, about to attack Deceit to help Virgil out. When Deceit ducked under another swipe he happened to glance over and see Roman. Deceit smirked at him and dashed away, momentarily out of their view.

“Careful now.” Deceit said.

Roman and Virgil turned to see him at the center of the room. He was standing on the couch, behind floating Patton, which Roman had just now noticed, and held his claws again Patton’s neck.

“Attempt another sstrike, and I’ll kill him for real.” He pushed his claws a bit to slightly break skin to show how serious he was. The other two sighed but glared.

“What do you want with Patton?” Roman asked.

Deceit tilted his head in faux thought.

“Hmm, good question.”

With the hand not at Patton’s neck, he ran his clawed fingers through Patton’s hair.

“More than anything, I’m just doing this because I can. The ssoft ones can be…fun.” He brushed a claw down the side of Patton’s face. Patton still seemed out of it.

Virgil growled again, shaking with unbearable restraint keeping him from launching at the snake.

“I do like playing with thosse around me after all. It’s what I do. It may also be because I know it upsets Roman. Oh, he is sssuch a handsome hero.”

“What- “

“Ssso, I will get all the more pleasure in my dastardly evil heart by defeating the most valiant prince around.”

Virgil looked at Roman

“You know something about this, don’t you?”

Roman looked sheepish and was not putting it off well.

“Whaa- “

“Oh, come on. You know how much I hate Deceit, but even I know he doesn’t normally talk like that.”

Roman sighed.

“Alright fine, he is resembling a monster version of him I described in a story I am currently writing.”

“So, this is happening because of you?”

“I didn’t mean to! This has never happened before!”

If Janus was listening or if he even registered anything that they said about this being from a fiction, he did not acknowledge it. He simply looked over them almost lazily, before flicking his hand, Patton disappearing after. They gasped.

“What did you do with Patton!?”

“Hmmm. Who knows?” He smirked at them. “Guess you’ll have to catch me and find out.” He twirled his hand, and the room filled with a dark green mist.

Roman looked around frantically, unable to see anything. They did not even know if they were in the same room or how big it was.

“Roman!”

He heard from behind him

“I’m right here.”

Roman reached behind him, getting a grasp on Virgil’s wrist, and they found themselves back to back, tensed for what may happen next.

Not that Roman could see it, but Virgil had a shield ready in front of him and shifted his shoes into steel toed boots with spikes.

After making sure that he could still feel Virgil at his back, he let go and twirled his fingers to summon a light torch. Virgil glanced over at the newfound light and scoffed.

“Really? You couldn’t have summoned a better light source? Like from this century?”

Roman scoffed.

“It works, and it goes with the aesthetic.”

“For goodness sake Roman, we are defending ourselves against a deranged deceitful side. I really could not care less about your freakin’ aesthetic.”

Roman glanced over, to see that Virgil now had a sword as well. A scimitar, or a pirate sword.

“Since when do you have a scimitar?”

“Is that really what you want to be talking about right now?”

The torch light up only a small area around them, but they would be able to see if something came close at least though.

From one corner of the room came a rattling sound, like the rattle of a rattle snake. They glanced that way for a bit, but nothing else happened for a moment.

Then from the opposite side of the room, a loud ear-splitting shanking sound scraped against the floor, like something sharp was being dragged.

Loud snake hissing could be heard again, as snakes slithered around them somewhere in the dark. The strange cacophony of noises was very unsettling.

Deceit’ evil laugh was suddenly right by them. Roman spun in that direction and swung his sword, but it went through air. He stayed like that for a moment, breathing hard, eyes constantly darting around. So, he was not sure how he was snuck up on again. He felt the sharp tips of fangs start to run against the skin on his neck, but he quickly spun around, shoving the other back with his whole arm, the fangs cut his arm some as he was pushed back, but at least he wasn’t whatever had happened to Patton. A familiar angry hiss came from that direction.

“Oh Roman, you think you’re sssso _good,_ don’t you?”

Virgil lunged for Deceit, almost getting him with his sword, but somehow the other slithered past again.

“Hmmm, you might find my friends to be a bit annoying.” Deceit said.

As he said that, more snakes came, along with rats scampering from all around and towards the pair.

Roman eeped and jumped over to Virgil. Virgil gave him an unimpressed look.

“I don’t remember you having a fear of rats. You seem to like Talyn’s pet rats.”

Roman scoffed at that.

“Yes well, I don’t like them crawling towards me. Plus, these ones have glowing red eyes and big teeth.”

They found themselves preoccupied with keeping the creatures away, not even realizing they were starting to move away from each other.

Roman did not hear Deceit coming towards him. The instant the rats by him disappeared, Deceit quickly covered his mouth and restrained him from behind all in one motion, using his multiple pairs of arms. He put out Roman’s torch in the same instance. Roman’s arms were pinned to his sides, so he couldn’t move his sword enough for it to do him any good. Roman tried screaming, but Deceit pushed his hand tighter against Roman’s mouth, muffling the sound almost completely, so it did not do him much good. Deceit started to step away with Roman in his grasp. Roman tried wriggling around more, but Deceit tightened his grip on him. Roman did not expect him to be so strong.

He dug his feet in, and then tried kicking back into the other’s legs. This quickly made Roman lose his balance though.

Roman could not see anymore, but he did hear Virgil call out in a panicky voice, 

“Roman!?”

Roman tensed when he felt Deceit’ breath against his ear.

“Shhh”

Roman gasped when he felt snakes start to slither and coil around his legs. He could still hear Virgil calling out for him, seeming more panicked. Roman tried struggling again, but gasped when he felt snake fangs sink into both of his legs, stilling him. Virgil’s voice started to sound further away.

**[**

“Don’t act like this isn’t something you wanted.” Deceit said into his ear.

Roman’s legs felt numb now, so it was much easier for Deceit to drag him back to who knows where.

A clawed finger gently ran along the side of Roman’s face, making him shiver.

“You know you can’t resist my charm. I could see it in the court room, how much you preen at my flattery. You’re not happy how you are. Wouldn’t it be so much easier to give in and be my puppet?”

Roman could feel Deceit’s breath against his neck, he was starting to feel weird. Deceit was talking in a soothing lulling voice that would be nice if it weren’t for what he was saying. He was finding himself entranced by it more than he usually would be though, which he really wished he could be more concerned about at that moment.

“Why are you still fighting so much? Just let me sink my fangs into you.”

**]**

Before Deceit could do so, he gasped and was pulled away. Roman stumbled, nearly falling over. He blinked, able to see now with a light purple light that had suddenly appeared. He saw Virgil standing behind Deceit, holding his sword which was currently run through Deceit. Virgil was breathing hard. He looked over at Roman.

“Are you okay?” He gasped out. Roman nodded, still feeling kind of out of it. His legs were shaking, still feeling numb, but the snakes were gone now.

Virgil walked over to Roman.

“Okay, so how do they get defeated in your story?”

“Uh”

“I mean surely, it would be similar here.”

Roman fidgeted.

“Well, uh, I didn’t get there yet.”

“What?”

“I was still writing the story when I heard the yelling downstairs.”

“Seriously!?”

“I wanted to describe the beasts as being very fearsome so my victory would be even grander! I didn’t know this would happen, clearly.”

Virgil pinched his forehead.

“Did you at least have an idea on how they were to be defeated?”

“Uh…”

“Really Roman?”

“I’m sorry, being thrown into the actual events threw me off.”

“Is there a way you could write a victory for us now and hope it fixes this?”

Before Roman could answer, a familiar maniacal laugh sounded from behind them. Virgil and Roman both jumped, and carefully turned around to see Deceit, somehow still moving. He smiled at them mockingly.

“Oh Virgil…” He started, and pulled the sword out of his chest, seeming unperturbed.

“Did you forget that I’m imaginary? That’s not going to work.”

They both tensed again, Roman pointed his sword out and stepped protectively in front of Virgil.

How could he get a chance to write a victory for them when they still had to fight the villain?

“Let’s see how it will affect you.”

Roman barely saw what started to rain down from the ceiling before Virgil pulled him down and tried to cover them both with his shield. Roman could not tell what it was but it sounded heavy and metallic and the falling clashes sounded all around them. One though sounded off, like it sunk into something. Roman gasped. After the rain was over, Virgil cautiously let them stand up, to see there were knives all around them, fallen, on the ground. There was one a bit away that was sticking up, like it shunk into something, but they couldn’t tell what it was with it still being dark over there. Just that some liquid was pouring from where it was stabbed. Roman grimaced when he thought about what that could be.

They both jumped again when another laugh resounded from the darkness…although this one was more unhinged…and unfortunately familiar.

Uh oh.

Roman gulped. He carefully looked up towards where the second laugh came from. They both still jumped in shock when his twisted brother swung at them, hanging upside down from the ceiling.

“Aw, ya started the party without me?”


	2. Chapter 2

The darkness of the room before was filled more with eerie green light, which made them look even creepier. Remus swung himself around and righted himself, although he was still above them. He seemed much larger now. His eyes were glowing red and curled devil horns stuck out on the top corners of his head. Remus had his typical unhinged and manic look, although it was even more unsettling now with his smile stretched wider than should be possible, all his teeth sharp looking. The other reason he was above them though was the large tentacles coming out from him.

Roman narrowed his eyes at him. He tried to turn so he could see both monsters, tensed to try and fight from either side.

Virgil spun two large knives that he all the sudden had and held them angled in front of him in preparation to fight.

“Since when did you have all these weapons?” Roman asked him.

Virgil gave him an exasperated look, before turning quickly to swipe at a tentacle that came for him, quickly stepping back. He spun one of his knives at Remus, but it did not seem to slow him down much. Virgil seemed to keep manifesting similar weapons as some were knocked away, continuing to quickly spin and dash back, almost looking like a choreographed dance fight. Roman would have to commend him on that later if they made it out of this.

Deceit, took back to going at Roman, seeming to favor hiding in the shadows before striking, also leading Roman to move around a lot. Roman found he was still trying to see how Virgil was doing.

Unfortunately, Virgil was quickly overpowered, as the large tentacles lifted him up by the feet, other ones taking away his weapons. He was quickly restrained.

Remus made a weird “Mmm” sound.

“Well that was fun. Although not demented enough for my taste. I wonder what I should do with the scaredy emo.”

He started to move Virgil up to him, Virgil struggling even harder. Remus paused and hmmed. Virgil’s eyes widened, as something seemed to happen to him from one of the tentacles wrapped around him, if the green liquid seeping out of the area said anything. Virgil lidded his eyes, and his head lolled, skin growing pale.

Remus laughed and clapped his hands.

“Yay! Who knows what fun stuff I can do with him now!?”

“NO!” Roman screamed.

Remus laughed drowning him out.

“Making you miserable is all the more fun, brother, not that I need that to do shit like this though.” Remus was bringing Virgil closer to his mouth, to do who knew what, Virgil unable to resist anymore. Roman tried to quickly get over there, but was stopped by Deceit, who had a katana of his own now.

“Out of my way.” Roman growled.

Deceit smirked.

“No.” And they started going at it, quickly batting their swords back and forth, seeming almost equally matched even with Deceit constantly disappearing into the shadows.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Logan rose up.

“Ah, Roman, there you are. I was hoping we could discuss Thomas’ newest upcoming video schedule.”

Logan looked at Roman expectantly, notebook out, not seeming phased by what was happening around them.

Roman looked at him in exasperation, currently sword to sword with Deceit, neither of them moving much due to it.

“Uh, Logan.” Roman said,

“Yes?”

“You should, like, get out of here. We are kind of fighting monsters, and it isn’t going well.”

Logan looked over their surroundings more, expression not changing much. Deceit, although still sword to sword with Roman, hissed at Logan, and bared his fangs. One of his extra arms stretched out with claws out as though to claw at him. Logan sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Honestly. None of this is even real.”

Deceit paused and seemed to freeze for a moment. Then he drew his arm back, dropping his sword, and stumbling back and away, holding his head.

The lighting in the main area of the mind palace returned to normal. The other creatures were gone.

Virgil blinked, looking back to normal although still restrained.

Remus pouted and shrunk back to normal size, tentacles sinking in, but not before placing Virgil on the ground.

Patton appeared where he had been standing before Deceit took him over. He had his arms out as though to stable himself like he had just been plopped there. He also looked fine. The fang bites were gone from his neck.

Logan looked around, seeming surprised by the transformation, and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Logan…” Roman started, his sword drooping against the ground now. “How did you- “

“Ah, I guess this was not a purposeful simulation like I had assumed. It’s not as though I understand the imaginative stuff anyways. I would presume that my applying logic to the situation, took the power away. I’m surprised neither of you thought of that in the first place.”

Roman and Virgil looked at each other.

“Uh, it didn’t work around last Halloween though.” Virgil pointed out.

Logan pursed his lips at that.

“Ah, that is a good point. However, can I presume this situation was different?”

Roman shifted a bit sheepishly.

“Ah yeah.”

“Well,” Logan adjusted his glasses. “This is, I suppose, another good reminder of the importance of-“

Before Logan could finish, Roman surged forward and hugged him. Logan blinked and looked down at the other, surprised.

“Thank you.” Roman got out, sounding a bit tearful.

“That was so much scarier than I expected it to be. I’m sorry for ever doubting your importance. Clearly we seriously need you.”

Logan had a soft look of surprise on his face. He was not sure how to respond so he, although a bit awkwardly, tried to hug him back.

“Er, you’re welcome.”

Patton was looking around, checking on them.

He saw Janus crouched in a corner against the wall, still holding his head.

“Janus?” Patton carefully started going over to him.

“Ah, Patton, I would be careful- “Virgil started.

“Thank you, Virgil. I think it’s alright though.”

Patton kneeled in front of Janus.

“Janus?”

Janus blinked up at him, his features seemed to have turned back to normal.

“Ughh, what happened? Why does my head feel so weird?”

Patton bit his lip and looked at the others. Roman released Logan, and took a breath, before going over to them.

Until then, they had thought that Deceit was a manifestation of the story alone. However, from what they just saw, it seemed it was still Janus this had happened to. As though the imagination powers that made the story come to life had in a way controlled Janus.

“Uh, I’m not really sure how to say this, but I think a story I had been writing, a Halloween one, came to life in the mind palace, and sort of turned you into the monster version of you from my story?” Roman said.

Janus narrowed his eyes at him.

“I see.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Roman may not like Janus, but he really had not meant for any of this to happen.

“Sorry, huh? Cause that totally makes up for my loss of control and appearing like a monster in front of everyone after all I’ve gone through to get a voice around here.” Janus carefully tried to get up, using the wall. Patton helped steady him.

“Janus- “Patton started.

“Oh pissh,” Remus said and jaunted over to them, also back in his normal appearance. “It’s not all his fault. I made it happen.”

“You did this?” Janus asked.

Remus nodded and shrugged.

“I was bored, and I knew it would upset Roman.” Remus said.

Roman growled at him.

Janus sighed.

“Well that figures.” Janus said.

“You’re not going to lay into him like you did to me a second ago?” Roman asked.

“Remus, can’t help what he is.” Janus said.

Remus shrugged, not really trying to deny it.

“I am going to my room.” Janus said. “If anyone else drags me into their imagination hijinks, they will sorely regret it.”

And with that, he sunk out.

Roman sighed.

“He’ll come around, kiddo.” Patton said to Roman.

There still seemed to be an awkward air.

Logan stepped forward,

“So about- “

“Logie,” Patton started. “Maybe give him a moment?”

Virgil and Roman both looked a bit red and were breathing hard from all that had just happened. Patton, although he hadn’t been fighting, looked pretty tired himself.

Logan looked them over and nodded.

“Ah yes, I suppose that is fair.” He cleared his throat. “Let me know if any of you need help or anything.”

Patton smiled a little at him and nodded.

“Okay! Thanks again for being your amazing self.” He bounced into hugging him. Logan smiled at him.

Virgil went up to Roman.

“I think I do need a moment alone.” Roman said to him.

_Like that went so well last time._ Roman could hear in his head in a voice that kind of sounded like Virgil. Roman sighed and looked over at Virgil.

“Thank you though, for everything.”

Virgil shrugged and did his little two finger salute.

“Wow,” Remus started. “You’re all so serious, gosh.”

Roman frowned at him. 

“You know, one good thing about what you are, you aren’t given as hard of a time when you do stuff like that which upset people. One good thing about not having to live up to high expectations I suppose.”

And with that, he sunk out.

Remus frowned a little at that but left soon after.


End file.
